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SPECIALTY FLOOR CAREMAINTENANCE AND FLOOR PAD SELECTOR GUIDE
AMERICO TAKES THE GUESSWORK OUT OF FLOOR PAD SELECTION
Whether you’re looking to replace or simply extend the life of your flooring, understanding the key characteristics and maintenance requirements is fundamental to a successful floor care program.
FLOOR MAINTENANCE
FLOORING TYPE AND CHARACTERISTICS
MAINTENANCE
CONCERNS
FLOOR PAD RECOMMENDATIONS
Before you begin any maintenance, make sure you understand the “DOs & DON’Ts” of any floor defining what equipment, chemical or cleaning processes can be safely used. Always check with flooring manufacturer for their care and maintenance recommendations.
Flooring Type & Characteristics Concerns Maintenance Floor Pad
Recommendations
POLISHED MARBLE• Extremely attractive• Very soft limestone• Natural or Agglomerate
(man-made)• Sensitive to abrasion and
acid solutions• Polished, honed, or
flamed surface
• Polished surface damages easily
• Expensive to repair• Cracks easily• Deep scratches due to
abrasion• Corrosion due to acid
soils• Honed or flamed tile
sensitive to stains• Keeping grout lines clean
• Dust mop frequently• Wet mop or auto scrub• Use neutral, non-film
cleaners• Impregnators OK• Diamond Pads OK• Machine scrub to keep
grout lines clean• Establish good mat
program
• Blue Cleaner• DiaMENDTM System• Red Buff• Image-Beige• Remover• TrapEze® Dusting Sheets• Twister™ Diamond System
TRAVERTINE• Composed of carbonates;
acts like limestone chemically, but is denser
• Antique look, surface pockets
• Honed only• Off white color• Naturally soft limestone• No man-made alternatives• Sensitive to abrasion and
acid solutions
• Stains easily• Deep scratches due to
abrasion• Corrosion due to acid
soils• Keeping grout lines clean
• Floor finish OK. Treat like vinyl floor
• Impregnators OK• Dust mop, sweep or
vacuum frequently• Wet mop or auto scrub• Use neutral, non-film
cleaners• Spray buffing or
burnishing OK• Polishing OK• Machine scrub to keep
grout lines clean• Establish good mat
program
• Blue Cleaner• DiaMENDTM System• Red Buff• TrapEze® Dusting Sheets• TURFSCRUB™• Twister™ Diamond System
GRANITE• Hardest natural stone
available• Extremely durable• Most expensive stone
floor
• Slip & fall hazard with wet & dry soils present
• Keeping grout lines clean• Can stain
• Marble finish OK• Impregnators OK• Dust mop frequently• Wet mop or auto scrub• Use neutral, non-filming
cleaners• Spray buffing or
burnishing OK• Diamond Pads OK• Machine scrub to keep
grout lines clean• Establish good mat
program
• Brown Strip• DiaMENDTM System• Green Scrub• Red Buff• TrapEze® Dusting Sheets• TURFSCRUB™• Twister™ Diamond System• White Polish
SPECIALTY FLOOR CARE
Flooring Type & Characteristics Concerns Maintenance Floor Pad
Recommendations
SLATE• Very dense silicious stone
(contains quartz)• Minimal absorption with
most varieties; others can be absorbent (over 2%)
• Acid resistant• Contoured surface
• Liquid stains on absorbent varieties
• Keeping grout lines clean
• Floor finish OK• Sealer needed on
absorbent varieties• Dust mop, sweep or
vacuum frequently• Impregnators OK• Wet mop or auto scrub• Use neutral, non-filming
cleaners• Machine scrub to keep
grout lines clean• Establish good mat
program
• Black Strip• Green Scrub• Red Buff• TrapEze® Dusting Sheets
PAVERS• Made from clay, shale or
porcelain• Machine-made tiles non-
absorbent• Hand-made tiles more
absorbent• Glazed or unglazed• Also referred to as
Mexican Tile or Terra Cotta
• Uneven surface can generate blotchy appearance
• Staining on more absorbent tiles
• Keeping grout lines clean• Deep stains may require a
poultice
• Floor finish & sealer OK• Impregnators OK• Dust mop, sweep or
vacuum frequently• Wet mop or auto scrub• Use neutral, non-filming
cleaners• Machine scrub as needed
to keep grout lines clean• Establish good mat
program
• Black Strip• Green Scrub• Red Buff• TURFSCRUB™• White Polish
QUARRY TILE• Made from clay;
generally red in color• Unglazed only• Slip resistant in wet & oily
conditions due to surface porosity
• Generally used in commercial kitchen environments
• Becomes slippery in wet conditions if surface pores fill with grease or soil
• Surface staining due to porosity
• Keeping grout lines clean• Deep stains may require a
poultice
• Dust mop, sweep or vacuum frequently
• Wet mop or auto scrub• Use neutral, non-filming
cleaner• Use degreaser where
appropriate• Machine scrub to keep
grout lines clean• Establish a good mat
program
• Black Strip• Green Scrub• Red Buff• TrapEze® Dusting Sheets• TURFSCRUB™• TwisterTM Yellow• TwisterTM Green
Flooring Type & Characteristics Concerns Maintenance Floor Pad
Recommendations
TERRA COTTA• Low fired natural clays
which give it a unique character
• Very absorbent• Stains easily
• Must be immediately sealed to minimize staining
• Not impervious; should not be used in kitchen or wet areas
• Keeping grout lines clean
• Floor finish & sealer required
• Impregnators OK• Dust mop, sweep or
vacuum frequently• Wet mop or auto scrub• Use neutral, non-filming
cleaners• Machine scrub to keep
grout lines clean• Establish good mat
program•
• Black Strip• Green Scrub• Red Buff• TrapEze® Dusting Sheets• TURFSCRUB™• Twister™ Yellow• Twister™ Green
SANDSTONE• Quartz grains naturally
cemented together• Very hard & durable• Resistant to acids
• Staining possible• Deep stains may require a
poultice• Keeping grout lines clean
• Floor finish & sealer OK• Dust mop, sweep or
vacuum frequently• Wet mop or auto scrub• Impregnators OK• Use neutral, non-filming
cleaners• Spray buffing or
burnishing OK• Machine scrub to keep
grout lines clean• Establish good mat
program
• Black Strip• DiaMENDTM (600 grit)• Green Scrub• Red Buff• TrapEze® Dusting Sheets• TURFSCRUB™• TwisterTM White• TwisterTM Yellow• TwisterTM Green
NATURAL LINOLEUM• Made from organic
materials (cork, wood flour, oxidized linseed oil and pine tar)
• Marble pattern; limited colors
• Sensitive to alkaline, abrasion and standing water
• Overuse of alkalinity will remove factory sealing surface and will react with linseed oil & pine tar to weaken the floor
• Surface scratches easily and is not repairable
• Damaged floor will swell with long term water contact
• Floor finish and/or sealer required
• Dust mop frequently• Wet mop or auto scrub• Use neutral, non-filming
cleaners• Combined cleaner/
maintainers OK• Spray buffing OK• Spray cleaning OK• High speed polishing OK• Establish a good mat
program
• Blue Cleaner• Red Buff• TrapEze® Dusting Sheets• White Polish
Flooring Type & Characteristics Concerns Maintenance Floor Pad
Recommendations
RUBBER• Available in studded,
texture, smooth or hammered designs
• Self-polishing• Sensitive to alkalinity and
sunlight• Can stain easily with
wear
• Overall maintenance due to surface design
• High alkaline solutions can dry surface
• Scars & scratches easily• Impressions have little to
no recovery
• Avoid alkaline solutions (10 -pH or higher)
• Do not use floor finish except on smooth designs
• Dust mop, sweep or vacuum frequently
• Wet mop or auto scrub• Use neutral, non-filming
cleaners• Spray buffing or high
speed polishing OK on smooth designs
• Establish good mat program
• Blue Cleaner• Red Buff• White Polish• TrapEze® Dusting Sheets• Twister™ Green• Xtract Melamine
The Full Cycle® Line of Americo products are Green SealTM certified
High Quality & PerformanceWith Americo floor pads, our
customers don’t have to sacrifice
quality or product performance
to leave a green footprint. Our
innovative biotechnology does
not modify Americo's core pad
formulation. Our products have
the same high quality, product
performance and consistency that
customers have come to expect
from Americo.
All floor pads manufactured byAmerico are made in the USA
Full Cycle® Products are Certified by Green Seal™ for Environmental Innovation based on faster biodegradation in landfill conditions and 100% recycled content/natural fiber. GreenSeal.org/GS20
Flooring Type & Characteristics Concerns Maintenance Floor Pad
Recommendations
CERAMICGlazed• Glass like surface• Available in multiple sizes,
surface designs and colors
• Can not be repaired if surface becomes damaged
• Slippery in wet conditions
• No floor finish should be used
• Dust mop, sweep or vacuum frequently
• Wet mop or auto scrub• Use a neutral, non-filming
cleaner• Machine scrub to keep
grout lines clean• Establish good mat
program
• Blue Cleaner• Red Buff• TrapEze® Dusting Sheets• TwisterTM Green• White Polish• XTRACT Melamine
Semi-glazed/Unglazed• Semi-glazed has matte
surface• Unglazed has dull surface• Available in multiple sizes
& colors
• Staining due to surface porosity
• Soil tracking in surface porosity
• Deep stains may require a poultice
• Floor finish & sealer OK• Impregnators OK• Dust mop, sweep or
vacuum frequently• Wet mop or auto scrub• Use neutral, non-filming
cleaner• Machine scrub to keep
grout lines clean• Establish good mat
program
• Blue Cleaner• Red Buff• TrapEze® Dusting Sheets• TwisterTM Green• White Polish• XTRACT Melamine
Polished Concrete• Very hard, durable• Smooth, highly polished
surface typically found indoors
• Staining due to surface porosity
• Soil tracking• Deep stains may require
heavier restoration methods
• Sensitive to acids
• Clean and polish using diamond pads
• Dust mop, sweep or vacuum frequently
• Wet mop or auto scrub• Use any non-acid cleaner
ranging from neutral cleaner to heavy duty degreaser
• Establish good mat program
• Black Strip• DiaMENDTM System• Green Scrub• Flamingo• Porko Extreme• TrapEze® Dusting Sheets• Twister™ System
EXTEND THE LIFE OF YOUR FLOOR
Flooring Type & Characteristics Concerns Maintenance Floor Pad
Recommendations
WOOD LAMINATE• Vinyl laminates can be
treated like tile floor• Laminates containing real
wood or cork must be cleaned with controlled water usage
• Authentic wood appearance
• All protected by clear vinyl wear layer
• Damaged wear layer can not be repaired
• Water damage on floors containing real wood or cork
• Seams must be protected from standing water because they are not heat welded
• Floor finish OK• Dust mop, sweep or
vacuum frequently• Mop or auto scrub;
minimize standing water on floors containing real wood or cork
• Use neutral, non-filming cleaner
• Spray buffing and cleaning OK
• High speed polishing OK• Establish good mat
program
• Aqua• Image Beige• Red Buff• Remover• TrapEze® Dusting Sheets• White Polish• XTRACT Melamine
PARQUET• Real wood• Plasticized urethane
surface
• Damage to plasticized surface
• Standing water can warp wood
• Seams are not heat welded
• Floor finish OK• Damaged surface can
be sanded and replaced with new urethane
• Dust mop, sweep or vacuum frequently
• Wet mop or auto scrub using as little water as possible
• Use neutral, non-filming cleaner
• Spray buffing and cleaning OK
• High speed polishing OK• Establish good mat
program
• Aqua• Image Beige• Maroon EcoPrep “EPP”• Red Buff• Remover• TrapEze® Dusting Sheets• White Polish
THE RIGHT FLOOR PAD FOR ANY SURFACE
5
Flooring Type & Characteristics Concerns Maintenance Floor Pad
Recommendations
CONDUCTIVE FLOOR• Looks dull with metal
strings running through it• Any soil or maintenance
product that interferes with the floor’s conductivity
• Soil build up in the porous surface
• No coatings allowed!• Dust mop, sweep or
vacuum frequently• Wet mop or auto scrub• Use a neutral, non-filming
cleaner• Machine scrub keep
surface pores clean• Establish a good mat
program
• Red Buff• TrapEze® Dusting Sheets
ANTI-SLIP VINYL• Vinyl with impregnated
aluminium oxide chips• Multiple colors and
patterns available
• Coatings or soil build up that interfere with the floors slip resistance
• Dust mop, sweep or vacuum frequently
• Wet mop or auto scrub• Use neutral, non-filming
cleaner• Machine scrub as needed
to keep surface clean• Establish good mat
program
• Blue Cleaner• Red Buff• TrapEze® Dusting Sheets• TURFSCRUB™• White Polish
CORKRaw• Looks like a bulletin board
on the floor!• Water damage to natural
cork, i.e. dark spots and/or swelling
• Dust mop, sweep or vacuum frequently
• Seal with solvent based products only
• Damp mop only using neutral detergent
• Establish a good mat program
• Red Buff• White Polish
Laminated• Highly polished smooth
surface• Natural cork appearance
• Damage to clear wear layer is not repairable
• Seams are not heat welded
• Water damage to natural cork, i.e. dark spots and/or swelling
• Floor finish OK• Dust mop, sweep or
vacuum frequently• Wet mop or auto scrub• Use neutral, non-filming
cleaner• Spray buffing and
cleaning OK• High speed polishing OK• Establish a good mat
program
• Red Buff• TrapEze® Dusting Sheets• White Polish
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ABOUT AMERICO
About Americo
Since 1969, Americo Manufacturing Company has grown to become one of the world’s leading producers of floor pads, cleaning accessories, OEM specialty nonwovens and floor matting, with products that are distributed and sold in over 70 countries worldwide. We are a family managed business, known for producing high quality products, while embracing environmentally sustainable practices.
Americo Manufacturing Company6224 N. Main Street, Acworth, GA 301271.800.241.9902www.americomfg.com [email protected]